Imagine restarting your life and getting a second chance. Times get tough, we don’t always like who we are and who wouldn’t want a do over? In this book, Chase gets amnesia and while he gets to restart everything, those around him remember who he used to be and wonder if the changes are real or if he will revert back to the person he used to be. Even Chase isn’t sure.

Slacker was one of my favorite books by Gordon Korman last summer and this summer he has done it again with Restart. A great read that not only gets kids thinking but also provides a compelling premise to draw even reluctant readers into the story.

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Title: Restart

Author: Gordon Korman

Target: Grades 5-8

Series: No

What this book is about:

Chase is about to start 8th grade when he falls off a roof top and gets amnesia. He can’t remember anything about his former life. When he arrives back at school, some people love him, and others avoid him at all cost. Turns out that Chase wasn’t always that nice. He was a football player and a bully who tormented weaker kids. But now he has a chance to change all that. The question is can we ever really walk away from who we were?

Why I love this book:

Fabulous premise to this story. Chase was a bully and he can’t imagine teasing and harassing kids in his past, now that he has no memory of his former life. His new friends have trouble imagining he won’t return to his old ways, and his old friends want back their BMOC who ruled the school. Chase isn’t quite sure where he fits in.

This story is told from alternating perspectives. While Chase figures the most prominently, I love it when authors give us multiple views to same situation. Readers can get myopic in how they see an event and it is a good reminder them that there are always multiple ways to look at a situation.

I liked that Chase owned the fact that he did bad things and only time will tell if he has changed. It is a more honest portrayal than simply celebrating the new Chase.